As California gears up for significant changes in rental laws for 2025, landlords and tenants alike must prepare for a shifting landscape. Recovery Realty is committed to keeping you informed about these critical updates. Here’s a breakdown of the key changes that we found most interesting (not a comprehensive list) and how they might impact you.

Tenant Screening (AB 2493):

  • Application Order: Landlords must accept applications in the order received.
  • Approval of First Qualified Applicant: The first applicant meeting the screening criteria must be approved.
  • Written Screening Criteria: Applicants must be provided written criteria upon request.

Recovery Realty has already had this practice in place long before this assembly bill. It’s the right thing to do. Cherry picking can invite discrimination claims, so this protects our brokerage and our clients while treating applicants the way they deserve to be treated. Furthermore, while we do accept backup applications and keep track of receipt order with date/time stamp, these folks are refunded their application fee if no processing occurs, which is yet another law that was passed previously yet a policy we had before being told we needed to do this.

Security Deposits:

     Photo Documentation:

  • Photos must be taken at the start and end of tenancies and after cleaning/repairs.
  • These photos must be shared with the tenant.

Again, we have been using a software called “Rentcheck” that we pay for as part of our services, and we have the tenant submit their move-in inspection with full photographic evidence. This has proven to be 100% fool proof as the tenant isn’t going to dispute their own report, and it provides tenants protection from being charged for defects that were already there when they took occupancy .. double win!

Balcony Inspections (SB 721):

  • Inspections for exterior elevated elements (EEEs), such as balconies and decks in buildings with three or more units, must be completed by January 1, 2025.

Again, being proactive, all of our 3+ multifamily units with exterior elevated elements are in compliance with SB 721 with inspection documentation on file. Ya hoo!